Showcase Japan

Showcase Japan is back! Joining us online now and at the physical show beginning August 14, we welcome twenty-five handpicked brands that represent a sampling of Japan’s incredible craft heritage and aesthetic perspective. The brands are selected in partnership with JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization – a government-related organization that has worked to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world since 1958. Shop colorful pleated bags, artisan glassware, charming wooden toys, masterfully-made candles, the most sophisticated makeup brushes we’ve ever seen and more, all carrying traditional craftsmanship forward with progressive design.

Click each brand's name to discover their full collections on Shoppe Online.

Featured

ADERIA

The story of Aderia dates back to 1819 when the glass industry in Japan was going through a rapid development. Founder Iwasaburo Ishizuka started with hand blown glass production and eventually established the first glass factory in Nagoya. This is still where Aderia continues to manufacture most of their glassware, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern glass making techniques. Aderia has since developed a myriad of glassware collections, with more than 100 original glass colors, including both handmade and machine-made products. With the slogan, “Familiar Luxuries at Your Fingertips”, Aderia’s products have been enriching people’s lives for over 200 years.

BAN INOUE

Founded in 1987 in Nara, Japan, Ban Inoue is a lifestyle brand founded by Hakudo and Chizuru. The pair decided to use Chizuru’s family factory—a long-established ramie and linen producer that has been around since the Edo period—to create something new and functional. Their brand now produces beautiful, colorful textiles for daily use from dishcloths to pillowcases.

DAIYO

Established in 1914, DAIYO has been making 100% plant wax candles from the natural resources of Shiga Prefecture for over a century. Each candle is made by artisans with skills passed down across generations, polished and refined as time passes, but always maintaining their original values of crafting candles from nature’s abundant goodness.

ECUVO

Made using organic and recycled materials and 100% renewable energy, each ecuvo product is created with the hope that people across the world may enjoy the seasons in comfort, now and for generations to come. To avoid the harmful cycle of trends and fast fashion, the brand creates quality fashion accessories from simple, timeless designs that will stand the test of time, with colors created using natural waste materials.

FLAMINGO

For 60 years, Flamingo’s craftsmen have been making hats in Ugi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. They offer high quality and fashionable accessories in vibrant color variations made possible by their fully-integrated design process.

Grisal

Grisal produces cashmere jersey scarves, made by artisan craftsmen in Japan in a family owned textile company using vintage knitting machines.

HARAPPA

Established in 2015 in Fukushima, Japan, Harappa’s textile factory is one of the last three of its kind that produces Aizu Momen cotton, a material that is warm for winter and cool for summer. The factory performs every process from dyeing to weaving, giving them the ability to control the quality and reduce the amount of waste from beginning to end. Always incorporating the beauty of the Aizu fabric, Harappa designs clothing that is stylish and practical.

KAMAWANU

Founded in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan, KAMAWANU is known for making TENUGUI cloths, a traditional cloth made from hand-dyed cotton and used as handkerchiefs, bandanas, dish cloths, and even gift wrap. Unlike common TENUGUI, KAMAWANU uses the CHU-SEN method, a special technique where the dye is absorbed into the fabric so you can see the patterns on both sides.

Kami no Mille-feuille

KENTO HASHIGUCHI

Crafting unique bags with architectural elements, the brand strips design down to its purest form, creating functional and beautiful wares. Explore their collection, classic, and collaboration product lines.

KIKO+ & GG*

kiko+ & gg* is a Japanese wooden toy brand founded by a female designer Kaz* Shiomi. The eco-friendly brand has been making toys for over 13 years and reinventing disposable plastic toys into longer lasting wooden creations. The items are always created with fun, functionality and design in mind. Products range from wooden gumball machines, magna doodles, retro pay phones, wooden friction vehicles to more educational and open-ended games. All toys are hand-crafted in small batches with sustainably-sourced wood and tested to the highest international safety standards.

KITO

KITO is wooden tableware made in a workshop in Japan, surrounded by the sea and mountains. The name of the brand, Kito, means “with tree," and is inspired by a longing to connect with the essence of trees and the wood that they provide. Strong trees grown in the mountains are precisely selected, cut, and delicately polished by hand to produce high-quality texture. Using condensed, solid wood grown for over 100 years, the brand incorporates the charm of trees into our daily lives – with the intentions to cherish their beauty and hand down a rich forest to future generations.

Kurama Reiki

Based in Kyoto, Kurama Reiki crafts cosmetics and candles scented with local essential oils, with fragrances to set the mood for your day.

KYO WAZARASHI MENSYA

Kyo Wazarashi Mensya offers pajamas, bed linens, and baby items made with quality craftsmanship and natural materials to improve sleep. Using Wazarashi gauze, which is produced with traditional Japanese methods of cotton scouring, the brand crafts skin-friendly and comforting textiles for the bedroom. In their continued journey for the best sleep, the brand also curates items made from other natural materials such as linen.

MARUMITSU POTERIE

Established in 1950, Marumitsu designs tableware that adds a French flair to Japanese dishes, with functionality as the heart of each piece. Based in Seto, Japan – home to kilns with the longest production history in Japan – local potters bring a high-quality artisanal touch to the collection.

NISHIGUCHI KUTSUSHITA

NISHIGUCHI KUTSUSHITA is a Japanese sock company established in 1950. The brand is meticulous about selecting only the finest quality of natural materials, sophisticated designs, and knitting patterns to create incomparable products within a reasonable price setting.

NOUSAKU

Founded in 1916 in Takaoka, Japan, Nousaku began by producing Buddhist ritual objects and Japanese tea ceremony utensils with a focus on the quality of their materials. Now, Nousaku produces beautiful home goods using advanced casting techniques, expert knowledge, and craftsmanship passed down through generations. Known for their “KAGO” series, the world's first flexible pure tin basket featured in MoMA’s Design Store, Nousaku continues its legacy of lovely, well-made products that are meant to be used.

Oujigama

Oujigama crafts traditional tableware and pottery using a rare “heavy-oil kiln,” high quality Seto clay, and a Shinoyu glaze that produces a distinct plump, white thickness to the pieces.

PLECO

PLECO bags are made with two eco-friendly fabrics. The first is plant-origin "polylactic acid (PLA)" which naturally decomposes into soil and is non-toxic when burned. The other is "recycled polyester (recycled PET)" which enables various textile expressions. Beautiful, mild-toned colors allow the bags to suit a variety of people and situations, and multiple sizes and shapes make them useful for both kids and adults. The brand’s hand-pleated, stylish apron design lifts your mood and stores easily.

SARALAM

Saralam is a premium knitwear label founded in 2013 by Kei Yoshida. The knits are inspired by natural geometric and botanical landscapes and earth-toned colors. Sourcing premium yarns from Japan and Italy, the collections feature traditional handknit craftsmanship and crochet. The growing brand is now expanding into home goods and skincare products.

SGHR SUGAHARA

Founded in Tokyo in 1932, SGHR Sugahara is a handmade glassware brand with nearly 90 years of experience. Using expertise and intuition, master artisans design to capture the natural beauty of glass in their studio located in Kujukuri, Chiba Prefecture. The collections include drinkware, plates, vases and more for sophisticated modern living.

SHAQUDA

Shaquda is a revolutionary brush collection created through a fusion of craftsmanship and sophisticated design. Based in Kumano, Japan’s renowned brush-making town, the brand’s techniques date back nearly two centuries. Their time-honed products integrate seamlessly into modern lifestyles, elevating and enriching your skincare experience.

TAKADA TAWASHI

With over 70 years of experience, the brand’s artisans handcraft TAWASHI, traditional scrub brushes, by harvesting the windmill palm trees in Japan that yield soft bristles. Despite their appearances, these bristles are gentle and perfect for cleaning cookware, vegetables, and for bathing. As a body cleansing brush, TAWASHI leaves skin reinvigorated. Experience the ability of TAKADA brushes to turn small everyday moments into something extraordinary.

TAKAZAWA CANDLE

Since 1892, TAKAZAWA CANDLE has been mastering the art of candle making, inspired by the nature of Japan. Each candle is made by hand, one at a time, to ensure a steady burn and the highest quality. The brand takes great pride in bringing expertise in their craft into the atmosphere of homes in Japan and all around the world.

WOODPECKER

"I grew up in a family of wood craftsmen manufacturing Mikoshi and Buddhist altars that has continued since my grandfather's generation. In 2007, after working in furniture and Buddhist altarpiece manufacturing, I launched woodpecker with the concept of connecting life and nature with wood. The genesis product was Icho no Ki Chopping Board.”

Currently based in an atelier in Motosu-gun, Gifu Prefecture, Woodpecker manufactures wooden objects for daily life that convey the charm of trees.

YAHAE

A small sock factory that has been based in the town of Koryo, Nara Japan since 1921, YAHAE knits socks made with natural colors and quality materials. Their socks are inspired by nature and history – a product that is as comforting for you as it is comfortable for your feet.

Shoppe Online, Showcase Japan, At The ShowHillaryDecember 27, 202211